This invention relates to the field of information networks, and more specifically to techniques of developing, providing, and sharing content in a social networking community, especially one which provides an immersive, collaborative environment for learning.
The Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) and have brought about significant changes in how information is exchanged. The Internet has been referred to as the “information superhighway” and has facilitated rapid dissemination of information to large numbers of people in the United States and around the world. Through the Web, users can more easily “publish” or otherwise make available to others many different kinds of information and content, such as through hyperlinked pages. This information includes, naming a few examples, newspaper articles, scientific papers, literary texts, business articles, social commentaries, political commentaries, and entertainment columns.
The Internet continues to evolve and advance. The Web facilitates more than just people retrieving information from institutional sources. Information is being democratized through new sources and ways of presenting information such as weblogs or blogs, wikis, podcasts, forums, and on-line social communities. The result is a more socially connected community where people are able to publish, add, and edit content.
Through the Internet, people want to find and connect with others who share similar interests and activities. They want to learn what others know. They want to teach what they know. Therefore, there is a need for new and improved techniques for developing, providing, and sharing content, especially to support a vibrant social networking community.